The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-08-11
MRS. STOWE AT HOME.
THE AUTHOR OF JUNGLE TOMS
CABINn FAILING IN HEALTH.


Visit at Her Hartford Home-Telling
How She Wrote Her Famous Story.
The Order in Which Her Works Should
be Read.
'sNo, l write no more have done,
have done, / have doner
ANYTHING more pitiful, more pathetic,
more tragic cannot be imagined than the
effect of the above few words, coming in
broken and faltering accents from the
lips of Harriet Beecher Stowe.
That the bright intellect of the author
of "Uncle Toms Cabin is undoubtedly
shattered cannot be longer denied.
The dim gray eyes light up in converse
ton, however, and some sparks come from
between the pale lips now and again that
impress one with what must have been.
Her manners have a more kindly than
courteous air, and are tinted with the
grace of modern as well as old time Gus
toms. Her hearing is wonderfully acute,
and her Intelligence glides along side by
side with that of her guests, whom she re-
ceiyes with the air of an old traveller
mailing a young one from some foreign
part-neither curious nor interested, but
forbearing.
''UNCLE TOMS CABIN"
eyes, my dear, loved to write, and be-
gan very young. Especially liked writing
short stories when lived in Brunswick,
Me. For these l used to get SIS, SEQ, $50
good pay in those times l never
thought of writing a book when l COM
menced ''Uncle Toms Cabin" l became
first reused on the subject of slavery when
lived in Cincinnati, and used to see es-
Gaping slaves come over the Ohio from
Kentucky. All, me! it thrills me even
now, the sight of those poor creatures!
Now young girl, suggesting the lover,
parent or brother for whom her heart was
breaking in bondage; again the strong
husband, aged father or stalwart brother.
Oh, must write a book to stop the dread
full shame! kept putting it off, dreading
bringing the characters to life, till the
fugitive slave law dashed me into fury,
and commenced what meant to be
short story like the others. But it grew,
and grew, and grew, and came, and came,
and came. Iwrote, and wrote, and wrote,
and thought 1 never should stop. 1 did
not plan the book as it turned out. l was
only full of the wrath, and the story built
itself around it as l wrote. A publisher
was waiting story from me. l told him
the subject had undertaken. He wrote,
StlylIlS, Ou nave
for heavens sake keep it short Iwrote
in reply, Il shall stop when ]. get through;
not before He never got it, for had to
make n book of it.
''Whle writing it l was filled with an
enthusiasm which transfused my being,
knew no hindrance, no rival interest, no
relief but in writing it. had young chill
dren, was keeping house and teaching
school at the time, and never worked SO
hard; but | had to write. Dinner had to
be got, knew. This had to be written,
just as much-aye, and more, too! 1t was
as though it was written through me, ].
only holding the pen. l was lifted off my
feet. Satisfied? l never thought about
being satisfied. When it was done it was
finished, and relief came. never felt the
same with anything 1 afterward wrote.
'Dread:' All! yes; it was on slavery, too,
but it was different 'Poganuc People
Interested me deeply. l grew to have a
of disposition TO be misunderstood and ill
treated. Dolly is a fac simile of myself
as a child. wrote it to help the other
children.
HER OTHER STORIES
"After that 1 wrote for money, be-
lieve. / have felt the need, and now
tasted the good of it, with more or less in
terest Of excitement. My Wife and l.
and we and Our Neighbors' should be
read together; then The Minister'S Woo
ing Nina Gordon, THE Pearl of Or's
Island, that is not good-but there are
none of them like Uncle Tom and little
Eva. Poor old Uncle Tom. Ah so
many, and so long ago!'
Here the gray eyes drop the light out of
them, the thin brown hands wander to
the white locks, and those knowing tho
dear old lady well know that soon they
will be asked to excuse her while she lies
down 'to rest little while"
"Ah, dear me, am not writing any
thing now. shall never write anything
any more. l have done! have done! 1
have doner' And she lies down little
while-"to rest"
Speaking of this wonderful woman's
brain and attainments, her husband,
Professor Stowe, was wont to say that he
always felt like toad sitting beside an
apple tree Compared with his wife, Yet
he was q very learned man, q professor in
Cambridge university, and was one. Of
those who helped translate the New les
= lament. He was great book lover, and
was known for his basket of books which
he carried on his arm, without which he
never appeared, at home or abroad, morn
ing, noon or night.
His death, about two years ago, has add
ed years to the loving wife, and broken
her down more than any other of the
untoward circumstances of her eventful
life
Her home adjoins that of Mark Twain,
the little Beaten pathway running from
the simple "back stoop'' of the authoress
to the more solid, modern and elegant
veranda of the great American humorist
Fannie Edgar Thomas in Chicago Her.
aid.